Day 10 Ellery Creek to Hugh Gorge.

Ghost Gums

Today was to be a long day, 31 km across the plain from the Heavitree Range to the Chewings Range.
Most slept poorly for a variety of reasons, and it was cold as well.
An early wake-up call with a departure at 7.30AM.
Today we farewelled Eleanor, who having walked the previous day with bad blisters realised that she was not really able to continue. The day had been torture for her, so a taxi was arranged to get her out, there being no room in the troopie. In fact we weren’t sure there would be room for the driver with all the gear that had to be packed.
The Spinifex Award changed hands from Eve to Julian for “caring medical attention” and we were off with an easy start, then a climb through a saddle in the range, at which time Simon became concerned at our rather slow progress.

He felt a cross country bash would be appropriate to cut a kilometre or so off the walk.
After a very steep drop off the saddle, suddenly we had no front group, only the back group walking the track.
We had lost the front group who had followed Simon, and the back group simply followed the path.
The race was then on to see where we would meet.
The back group won, as they were less blackened by burnt trees along the off track path.
Morning tea was off track in a small depression out of the wind.
A party of three walkers coming the other direction, oblivious to our presence got the shock of their lives to find 18 people sitting just off the track. They were from USA and NZ.
It was then a plod along with ups and downs past Rocky Gully camp, no real campsite to see other than a creek bed, then past Ghost Gum Flat and on to Hugh Gorge.
Hugh Gorge was a very primitive campsite with few places for our tents, and only some tree trunks and rocks for seating. No Toilet so the spade was put into service.
David and Peter had taken 5 hours to pack all the gear, then had a 22 KM horrendous goat track drive in.
In spite of this we had rice and stroganoff then off to bed a hard day with sore feet.
Simon's thought of the day-Dance or we are lost